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Buckhorn Lake is a reservoir located in Kentucky. The water surface spans about 1,230 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. Fish documented in the area include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Crappie, and Green Sunfish. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Nearby alternatives include Carr Creek Lake and Cave Run Lake. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Buckhorn Lake are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 8:30 AM EDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Good (87/100) across 5 activities. Best right now: Boating (100/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Measured water temperature 73°F from a representative gauge 0.3 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 1 mph from the east. Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 61° | 69° | 74° | 77° | 79° | 80° | 79° | 78° | 74° | 69° | 65° | 62° | 58° | 57° | 57° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 57° |
| Wind (kts) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Direction | — | — | — | E | E | E | E | E | E | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE |
| Gusts (kts) | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 4% | 4% | 16% | 24% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 10 AM EDT | 61°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 56% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM EDT | 69°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 68% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM EDT | 74°F | Calm | 5 mph | 0% | 71% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 77°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 6 mph | 0% | 71% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 79°F | 2 mph ENE (68°) | 6 mph | 0% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 80°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 6 mph | 0% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 79°F | 1 mph ENE (68°) | 7 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 78°F | 1 mph ENE (68°) | 6 mph | 0% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 74°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 6 mph | 1% | 75% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 69°F | Calm | 6 mph | 1% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 65°F | Calm | 6 mph | 0% | 80% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 62°F | Calm | 6 mph | 0% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 58°F | Calm | 6 mph | 0% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 57°F | Calm | 5 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 57°F | Calm | 5 mph | 0% | 81% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 56°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 56°F | Calm | 2 mph | 0% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 56°F | Calm | 4 mph | 1% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 56°F | Calm | 4 mph | 1% | 96% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 56°F | Calm | 4 mph | 1% | 92% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 6 AM EDT | 56°F | Calm | 5 mph | 4% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 7 AM EDT | 56°F | Calm | 5 mph | 4% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 8 AM EDT | 56°F | Calm | 6 mph | 16% | 89% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 9 AM EDT | 57°F | 2 mph ESE (113°) | 8 mph | 24% | 84% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 10 AM EDT | 59°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 9 mph | 30% | 88% | Chance Rain Showers |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Today October 9, 2026 | Tonight October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 80° | 56° | 71° | 59° | 74° | 59° | 78° | 56° | 83° | 57° | 80° | 56° | 82° | 57° |
| Wind | ENE 2 mph | E 1 mph | E 0 to 8 mph | E 3 to 9 mph | S 3 mph | WSW 0 to 3 mph | W 0 to 3 mph | SW 1 mph | SW 3 mph | SW 3 mph | ESE 2 mph | ESE 2 mph | SSW 3 mph | SSW 2 mph |
| Gusts | 7 mph | 6 mph | 21 mph | 21 mph | 12 mph | 9 mph | 8 mph | 6 mph | 10 mph | 8 mph | 7 mph | 6 mph | 8 mph | 7 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 1% | 80% | 73% | 95% | 81% | 8% | 3% | 4% | 11% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 14% |
| Forecast |
MIDDLE FORK KY R BLW BUCKHORN LK AT BUCKHORN, KY · Oct 8, 2:45 PM UTC
Excellent for fishing (92/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 73°F from a representative gauge 0.3 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 0 mph from the south-southeast. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (72%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (100/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the south-southeast. Gusts to 1 mph. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for sailing (64/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 1 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Wind 0 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (82/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the south-southeast. Gusts to 1 mph. Combined air and water temperature is 119°F (below the 120°F safety guideline). Thermal protection recommended for paddle craft. Confidence is high (90%).
Surface water measured at 73°F. Air and water contrast evaluate recreational immersion comfort.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of KY Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Buckhorn Lake is a prominent freshwater reservoir in KY, offering expansive open water for waterskiing, cruising, and tournament angling. The lake's deep basins and shallow flats provide varied habitat for local fish species. Conservation initiatives and public access oversight are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Crappie, Green Sunfish. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Buckhorn Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 10:00 AM EDT